'Same problems over and over': 2024 the worst year for vacant house fires in Winnipeg, expected to get worse

2024 has been the worst year on record for vacant building fires in Winnipeg

2024 has been the worst year on record for vacant building fires in Winnipeg and with winter arriving, the tally is only expected to get worse.

Ron Knol has lived in the William Whyte neighbourhood for 40 years and said the fire cycle repeats itself.

"It's like a hamster wheel. Same problems over and over. Groundhog day, and nothing seems to be done," said Knol.

He said the cycle is as follows – a vacant home gets cleaned up, a fire starts, then it gets boarded up.

In recent days, a string of fires has the neighbourhood association's president thinking there may be an arsonist in the area.

"In our particular area, the way the fires are being targeted, they're less than a block away from each other. And they're houses, they're garages," said Darrell Warren, the president of the William Whyte Neighbourhood Association.

Winnipeg's deputy fire chief, Scott Wilkinson, said he can't comment on this specific cluster, but said in most cases home fires are intentionally set.